


Aber Girl

by hookedontaronfics



Category: British Actor RPF, Taron Egerton - Fandom
Genre: Aberystwyth, Cute Ending, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-07-11 23:16:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19936141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hookedontaronfics/pseuds/hookedontaronfics
Summary: Can a weekend with Taron completely change a heart? This Triple Shot [3 part] series follows O/C character and Aberystwyth native Morgan as she uncovers parts of her past and learns to forgive.





	1. Friday

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Cursing and alcohol use

“Morgan!” I jumped at the sound of my name being yelled across the bookstore, nearly dropping the book I had in my hand. I quickly put it on the shelf where it belonged before clambering down the stepladder I’d been standing on. **  
**

“Yeah, what do you need?” I asked a bit tersely as I crossed the shop floor, picking up a couple books customers had abandoned. Really, why couldn’t my boss walk across the store and speak to me in a normal voice? It irritated me to no end.

“Oh, there you are,” she said, looking a bit frazzled behind the boxes she was unloading. Fridays were our normal shipment days, and we’d been bombarded with merchandise for the holidays, which were fast approaching.

“I was just in the poetry department, you know, getting lit,” I replied. Okay, maybe I should have been _slightly_ less sarcastic to my boss, but she didn’t even seem to notice or appreciate my amazingly witty pun. I made a mental note to Tweet that out later.

“When you’re done with that, I could really use your help upstairs in secondhand,” she said, brushing her hair out of her face. “And don’t forget I’m leaving early, so you’ll be closing up shop by yourself tonight.”

“Yeah, no skin off my elbow,” I said cheekily. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t done before. I returned to my work, shelving, organizing and straightening books, trying to make the store look as welcoming and shoppable as possible. Despite the busy-work nature of the job, I actually did enjoy being surrounded by books all day. I helped the few customers that filtered in, mostly college kids and families, find what they were looking for, and once my boss left I had the place to myself.

The last two hours of my shift dragged on a bit, and I ended up spending some time just surfing the internet, daydreaming about moving to Cardiff. Or London. Or even further away. Don’t get me wrong, growing up in Aberystwyth had its perks. Sure, the town was small, but it was also pretty. We had the mountains to our north and the coast right in front of us. You could take the Cliff Railway all the way up the hillside and it gave the best views of the area. I’d spent many a summer evening there with my mates and a 6-pack. I loved the place, but I saw very little opportunity here. Even after I’d enrolled in classes at the uni and earned my degree, I felt stuck in a way that made me feel sick to my stomach. Working at Ystywth Books for the rest of my life wasn’t the plan I had in mind.

About 10 minutes before close, I was finishing my duties since no one else was in the store when the bell above the door dinged. A blast of cold air blew in, making me instantly shiver despite the sweater I was wearing over my jumper and winter tights. I only saw the back of the person who walked in, as they disappeared around a bookshelf corner quickly. “I’m closing in a few minutes!” I hollered out, hoping they wouldn’t be obnoxious about it. I’d already had plans to meet up with some mates at the pub just after my shift.

“I’ll only be a minute,” the voice called back, cheerily enough. Hmmm, mostly British, slightly Welsh. Likely someone who used to live here and was visiting, I thought to myself. We had a lot of international students at the university, so I always tried to make it a game of guessing their nationality based on their accent.

I grabbed a stack of books off the counter to reshelve, since I now had to occupy my time for a couple more minutes, popping into different sections and moving about the store with ease. I could have probably walked this floor blindfolded, and in an admittedly stupid effort to prove it to myself, I closed my eyes and swung around a corner, running smack into the customer, who shouted “Hey!” and then “Are you alright?” after I’d tripped and then tumbled unceremoniously to the ground, my books flying every which way.

“Yeah,” I grunted, wincing slightly as there was a sharp pain in my arm. “Shit,” I breathed out, gripping my arm to my chest and only noticing the customer’s nice shoes and tight jeans. To my credit, I was in a lot of pain.

“That… doesn’t look like okay,” he said, crouching down to eye level with me. I nearly laughed as I wondered how he hadn’t split his pants just now, but then I had to squeeze my eyes shut as a groan of pain escaped my lungs. My arm was already throbbing, and I was trying to ignore the tears that had sprung into the corners of my eyes.

“Fuck, you’re hurt. I’ll call the medics,” he said, pulling out his phone to do so.

“I can’t bloody afford that,” I cursed, finally looking up at him and sucking in my breath sharply. My customer was none other than Taron Egerton, the so-called town “hero.” I was a couple of years younger, but my brother had been in Taron’s class and all I’d heard my whole entire life was how amazing he was, how he was “going places.” He’d managed to get out of Aber and build a successful career for himself and left the rest of us behind, and it annoyed me to no end that everyone constantly fell all over themselves for him. He was decent-looking enough, but I’d seen better. Not only that, he hadn’t made a name for himself _in_ Aber, or for that matter stayed here and tried to help anyone else. How honestly special could you be if you’d fled to the big city and not ever looked back?

“I’ve still got two legs that work. I’ll just walk,” I said pragmatically, dropping my eyes back to his shoelaces in case he got the wrong idea.

“Are you kidding me? You’re clearly hurt, it’s feezing and snowing out, and I can’t in good conscience let you do that,” he replied, a bit self-righteously if you ask me. What was he trying to do, be _my_ hero? As if it wasn’t good enough to be the town’s? I didn’t need one, thank you very much, and if he hadn’t walked in 10 minutes before close this whole situation probably wouldn’t even be happening. I was hurting, annoyed and still needing to close the store.

“Fine then, call me a cab,” I said, awkwardly pushing myself up to my feet with my good hand and steadying myself against the bookshelf, ignoring the hand he offered to help. I tugged my sleeve up a bit and my eyes watered some more as I noticed the bruising already starting to show. I hastily wiped at my face and sniffed. I was _not_ about the cry in front of this guy.

“I’ll drive you myself,” he replied, concern written all over his stupid face. I groaned inwardly at that, but I knew I couldn’t ignore my arm. I needed a doctor, and I didn’t have a car myself, usually just borrowing my parents’ when I needed to go somewhere long-distance.

“Fine, but you’ll have to wait a moment while I close the store,” I conceded, whatever he’d come in to get clearly forgotten. He annoyingly tailed me around the store, trying to help and mostly getting in my way. I counted out the drawer money as best I could, closed the accounting books, and made sure all the lights were off and the place secured.

I had to drape my winter coat around my shoulder, as my arm was too hurt to try and wrangle it into the sleeve, and after trying to one-handedly zip it up around myself, I finally acquiesced to Taron’s help, standing there awkwardly as he carefully zipped my coat up to my neck. I followed him out into the swirling night, locking the door behind me as snowflakes landed on my eyelashes and cheeks. It was a bitterly cold evening as we crunched across the parking lot to his car. At least it was still warm inside as I awkwardly fell into the seat. I didn’t bother with the seatbelt, as we weren’t actually going that far.

He drove me over to Bronglais General, being careful as the roads were already coated. I noted that he’d been listening to Bowie, and at least I could appreciate his musical taste. But that was only one point toward his favor in a long list against. He parked and we hustled inside, shaking the snow from our hair and clothes. I got checked in and had a small wait, so I took a seat in the lobby, and much to my chagrin, Taron sat down next to me.

“You don’t need to stay here with me. I’m sure you’ve better things to do,” I said, as I slowly tapped out a text to my friends that I was going to be a bit late to the pub.

“I remember you,” he said quietly, and I didn’t respond for a moment. If that was supposed to impress me, well, it really didn’t. “You’re Declan’s younger sister,” he pressed on. Dammit if he wasn’t persistent, but that still didn’t earn him any points.

“Yeah, it’s Morgan, and what you and your mates did to my brother, it’s not been forgotten, okay?” I replied angrily, not even sure where the sudden heat in my face had come from. “And I don’t need your help.”

He hung his head a bit, but I had zero sympathy. “That was a long time ago. And I’ve apologized to him, a lot,” he replied, his ears growing a bit red.

“You may have the whole world eating out of the palm of your hand, but I’m not one of them,” I said in a huff. Thankfully, my name was called just then. I stood up abruptly and turned to him. “Please don’t be here when I come back,” I added before stalking off after the nurse, ignoring the pained look on his face. Thinking about Taron as anyone other than the person who had helped bully my brother out of the theater would get me into nothing but a world of hurt.

The hospital staff was nothing but kind as they took my vitals, ushered me through X-rays and did their best to not keep me waiting unnecessarily. I had indeed broken my arm, although it was a clean break and I was relieved that I wouldn’t need surgery, as this visit alone was going to drain the meager savings I had in my bank account. Once my arm was bound in the cast and a sling, the nurse helped me back into my coat [believe me, this was an embarrassing thing] and I returned to the lobby. 

I was half-worried Taron would still be waiting there, his puppy-dog eyes trying to draw sympathy from me, but the lobby was empty of his presence. That somehow didn’t actually make me feel any better, and I worried for a moment that I had been a complete arse to him when all he’d done was try to help me earlier, but I quickly shoved that feeling down deep.

I called myself a cab and waited impatiently, hopping from one foot to the next in an attempt to distract myself from both the dull ache in my arm and the pain in my chest that running into Taron had reawakened. It was possible, in that moment, that maybe I even hated him a little bit. A little sister shouldn’t have to be the one consoling her older brother or reminding him that there was more to the world than Penglais. My phone dinged to let me know my cab had arrived, and I rushed back out into the cold, ready to get to the pub and drown my sorrows with my friends and a hefty draught.

The snow had let up a bit, and I had to admit it was actually quite pretty out, the light cast from the streetlamps making the untouched snow glitter. I never said Aber didn’t have its moments. I paid my fare and hustled inside when the taxi pulled up outside Kanes, happily taking the seat my mates had saved for me. The table was already littered with half-gone appetizers, and I helped myself to them after ordering a beer.

“I see your klutz streak strikes again,” Andreyah teased me as I shed my coat. We’d known each other since we were both in nappies, and had lived on the same block most of our lives. In fact, Andreyah had gotten me through most of the scrapes - physical and otherwise - in my life, and there had been many. Everyone else at the table, Cliff, June, Rosie and Ace, had come into my life at various points and for various reasons, but we’d all ended up at uni together and were inseparable now.

“What even happened?” Rosie asked curiously.

“I haven’t had enough alcohol for this one yet,” I laughed, taking a long and impressive draft of my beer, Cliff whistling in admiration until I flipped him off.

“Always classy,” June grinned as I slammed my half-empty glass on the table, the beer sloshing against the sides.

I took a deep breath, gathered up the edges of my courage, and blurted out “I ran into Taron,” not even needing to say his last name for my mates to know exactly who I was talking about. Two of them sighed adoringly (much to my annoyance), three of them sounded indignant on my behalf. “Like, quite literally. He came into the store and I tripped over his stupid feet,” I explained, leaving out the part where I’d been doing something incredibly dumb in the process. “It’s been a shitty night so far.”

“I’d expect no less from _him_ ,” Ace said, nearly spitting out the last word. He had known my brother well too. In fact, most of the families in Aber knew each other or were at least friendly in passing.

“But I’m sure it was just an accident,” Rosie replied, being both more logical and also more sympathetic to Taron’s cause. We’d long ago agreed to disagree on that one.

“Oh of course, but he tried to help me by mostly getting in my way and even acted like it was a big deal that he remembered who I was,” I said, rolling my eyes and feeling the alcohol start to hit me, lowering my inhibitions. “What a serious wanker.”

My mates started to debate this, offering both their support of me [that’s true friendship, right there] or their insistence that Taron wasn’t as awful as I believed him to be. Eventually the conversation drifted to other topics, and we ate and drank more and I ended up having a great time. Nothing a little group therapy couldn’t fix, I thought. It helped take the edge off my emotions over the evening, but eventually I had to call it a night, as I had an early bookstore shift the next morning.

Hugs ensued, Andreyah helped me back into my winter coat [seriously, this was beginning to make me feel like a toddler], and then offered to drive me home. I could have walked from there and had plenty of times before, but it had gotten even colder while we were in the pub so I didn’t turn her down.

“So really, tell me what actually happened,” she said as soon as we were safely tucked into her little Fiesta.

“That was mostly the truth!” I laughed indignantly, but filled her in on other details I hadn’t shared with the group. She listened quietly, letting me rant a bit.

“Aren’t you being a little … unfair?” she asked as she pulled into the driveway.

“Are you kidding me?” I scoffed, but she fixed me with that trademark pout she used when I was being unreasonable.

“He was 15, Mori,” she said, using the nickname she’d given to me when we could barely even put three words together. “People change. You have to allow them that.” I snorted, but she continued talking. “From what you said, it sounds like he’s been trying to make amends. Maybe you should talk to your brother. Maybe you’re holding onto anger Declan’s long already let go of.”

“You know, sometimes you make way too much sense and it really pisses me off,” I huffed, just making her laugh.

“Oh Mori. I love you, but you’re stubborn as hell. Maybe let it go a little, yeah? What would be the harm?” she asked, watching me as I pressed my fingers against my temple and then rubbed them over my eyes.

“Yeah I’ll think about it,” I said, fully intending to not give Taron a second more of my time.

“Hey, get some sleep, alright? I’ll bring you a coffee tomorrow while you’re at work,” she grinned.

“You are a saint and a scholar,” I grinned back. We gave each other an awkward car hug before I got out, shut the door and waved to her obnoxiously until I got to the front door. I let myself in and found my mom and dad had already gone to sleep, which was just fine with me. I was too tired and sore to try and explain everything that night. I went to my room and got myself ready for bed before crawling in under the covers.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but my brain kept insisting that I run over the events of the day. I tossed and turned a bit, but every time I opened my eyes, I could see Taron’s wounded expression in the shadows. Try as I might to avoid it, he’d gotten under my skin again, and I was confused by the emotions I was feeling. I hated admitting maybe Andreyah was right. I’d been so young back then, we all had been, and I had only ever gotten Declan’s version of events. The truth of that made my face flush with shame, but old grudges tend to die hard. Finally exhausted by my work shift, my injury and my upsetting emotions, I drifted off into a fitful, uneasy sleep.


	2. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some confessions force Morgan to reevaluate her own memories as well as beliefs she has long held onto. Could giving one chance to Taron really be so bad? Plenty of cute fluffy Taron to come in Part 3. I hope you enjoy! x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Cursing and alcohol use

I woke up to my alarm going off and my arm on absolute fire. The painkillers I’d been given at the hospital had long worn off, and I still needed to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy before my shift. I could already feel that this was going to be a long day as I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. The events of the day before still lingered in my mind, and I tried not to dwell too much on Taron’s face, but for some reason found it difficult to do. His stupid, pretty face. I didn’t remember when he’d gotten so handsome, and I immediately banished that thought from my mind. It’d do me no good to think that way.

I stood up and shuffled across the floor, the cold seeping through my feet and making me shiver. I managed to get out of my pajamas and maneuver a clean shirt on around the cast, wincing slightly when the fabric brushed over my hand. I hadn’t counted on how difficult it would be to get myself into my jeans one-handed, and I ended up tipping over onto the floor with a shriek. I instantly heard footsteps running up the stairs and realized my bum was still hanging out in the air, clad only in my underwear. “I’m fine! Don’t open the -” I tried to say but my father swung it open anyway.

“Morgan, are you, oh… oh my god, I’m so sorry,” he said, turning a bright shade of red at my predicament. He instantly stepped backward and around the doorframe, but I could hear him standing there still, panting a bit because he was out of shape.

“Oh my god,” I agreed.

“Well, to be fair, nothing I haven’t seen before. I used to give you baths as a kid, you know,” he said awkwardly.

“Dad!” I yelled, absolutely mortified. I groaned, pushing myself upright and wriggling my pants on the rest of the way. I cursed a few times while I wrestled to get the button clasped.

“Language, dear,” my father reminded me, before peeking in again. “What in the world happened there?” he asked, concerned as I adjusted the sling around my body and settled my arm in it.

“Work accident,” I sighed.

“Honey, why didn’t you call your mom and me?”

“I didn’t want to bother you,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek against the swell of pain that nearly made me gasp out.

“You didn’t walk to the hospital, did you?” he asked, stepping into my room again and pulling me into a careful hug, sweetly patting my hair like I was five years old again.

“No, I got a ride from-” I stopped myself, but my dad didn’t seem to notice.

“We would have come and gotten you,” he said as I extricated myself from his hug.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but I’m really running behind already and I don’t want to be late, so can we talk about this later?” I asked, shooing him out of the room.

“Sure, dear, your mum’s got breakfast ready downstairs,” he smiled at me, and I nodded my thanks as I headed to the bathroom to finish getting ready. I swallowed a couple over-the-counter ibuprofen, hoping it would take the edge off, and did my best to not jostle my arm too much.

I wisely chose a heavy wool peacoat this time, something I could manage to button on my own, if a little clumsily. As I hurried down the stairs, I nearly caught my purse strap on the edge of the banister in my haste. The last thing I needed to do was tumble down the stairs and break my other arm. I had that kind of talent for tripping over air, it seemed.

As soon as I breezed into the kitchen, my mom tried to worry over me too. I appreciated my parents’ concern, but I really did need to get to my job, a job I would probably be late for now. I likely had a good excuse with my arm in a cast, though; you had to use any advantage you could. “Love you guys, got to go!” I called, grabbing a buttered crumpet off the plate and stuffing it in my mouth as I let myself out of the house, the door slamming behind me.

Despite the sun shining fully that morning, a blast of cold air still greeted me and I pulled my coat collar up against the wind. Aber winters always made me wish I had my own car, but between student loan payments and saving to get my own apartment, I didn’t have any cash to spare. I hurried into town, finishing the crumpet and stopping at the pharmacy to pick up my medicine. I nearly cried at the price of the pills, but I needed them so I handed over my credit card. This was going to set me way back, I thought.

I was grateful when I finally turned the corner to the bookstore, rushing inside for the warmth and taking a moment to breathe in the scent of books as I always did before going to find my boss.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said, knocking on the open office door. 

“Couldn’t have texted me first?” my boss asked, entering some numbers before looking up from the computer. I dumped my coat off on the rack and sighed as she did a double-take over my cast.

“Had a minor mishap at work yesterday,” I said, as she quickly gestured to the other chair for me to sit.

“We’ll have to fill out an incident report then,” she said, and I groaned inwardly until she informed me my medical bills might be covered since it happened at work. I gave her the basic details of what happened but had to pause when she asked me if I knew who the customer was; Aber was a fairly small place and you got to know your neighbors if you lived there long enough.

The silence stretched out between us as she waited for me to answer. “It was … Taron Egerton,” I replied, a bit painfully. “He’s been visiting home again, I guess,” I added, biting my thumb while my boss did what most people usually do at the mention of his name - She grew flustered about the fact that he’d even been in our store and tried to pry details out of me that I couldn’t supply.

“I don’t know what he was here to get, I was busy doing my job,” I said in a huff. It was embarrassing, really, watching a 50-something-year-old woman get beside herself over him. 

We finally wrapped up in the office, got the store open and I went about my day, trying to put Taron out of my mind. Saturdays in Aber were typically busy for most retail businesses along the strip, and I enjoyed having a laugh with my co-workers who were also on my shift. Between helping customers, we’d come up with a game where everyone tried to spin the most ridiculous tale as to the cause of my accident, and we were in fits when Andreyah bounced through the door, the sun making her auburn hair glow brightly.

“Special delivery!” she grinned at me, handing me a cup of coffee, knowing my order by heart.

“Oh my god, I love you a latte,” I deadpanned, and Andreyah shoved me playfully in my good arm.

“You and your puns,” she groaned, as I breathed in the rich aroma of my drink.

“I know, it’s great right?” I giggled.

“Yeah, don’t quit your day job,” she grinned, leaning casually against the counter while I rang up a customer as best I could with one arm. Everyone so far had been patient, and I was grateful for it. I handed the customer, who was rather cute, his bag and gave him a cheerful good-bye, watching him walk toward the door. Andreyah caught my gaze and snickered at me. _What?_ I mouthed to her as the good-looking man pushed his way out the door, just as an all-too-familiar face came in.

“Oh god, no,” I said, instantly crouching down behind the counter and upsetting a display of bookmarks in the process.

“Morgan!” Andreyah hiss-laughed, unable to contain herself as Taron strode in, having seen me despite my best efforts. He walked up to the counter and peered over it at me, his green eyes taking in my awkward position.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone probably on the far side of rude.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, and I wanted to hate him for being a such a damn gentleman. 

“I survived,” I snapped, and he looked deflated at my tone. I stood up and we stared at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat and I looked away.

“Also, I never bought what I came here to get last night. I was wondering if you could help?” he pressed on. Andreyah made an _“ooh”_ noise and wandered off to browse, leaving me with Taron. It was going to take me a while to forgive her for that.

“I can’t, I’m busy,” I said, righting the display and starting to pick the bookmarks up off the counter.

“Morgan,” he said, placing a hand on mine. Perhaps it had been an impulse on his part, but it both angered and thrilled me at the same time, and I was confused at my brain’s response.

I dropped the bookmarks back on the counter and in an attempt to distract myself I grabbed my coffee and took a sip, looking across the shop to try and find any other colleague who was available, but everyone else was already helping a customer.

“Oh fine,” I said. “And only because I’m doing my job,” I added for good measure, shoving my hand in my pocket. “So what are you looking for?”

“Well,” he said, copying my move and also shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’s nearly Christmas and I wanted to get my sisters some books,” he said, his face lighting up with a grin at the mention of the girls. He adored them, and so did pretty much the whole town. I’d seen them in the store before with their mum, and they were polite and well-behaved and cute as a button. I had no problem with his family, as they’d done nothing wrong.

“Alright, well, what do they like to read?” I asked as I led Taron to the children’s section. “We’ve got everything from mermaids to unicorns. It runs the gamut of cute,” I said. 

“Gamut of cute, eh?” he said with a grin, his gaze passing over me for a moment, but I ignored that fact as I pulled some of my personal favorites off the shelf. I may have gotten distracted and read a kid’s book or two while shelving, but could you blame me?

I forgot that I hated him while I helped him shop, getting lost in my passion for books and actually laughing when he started to read one of the stories in a goofy voice. After about 15 minutes or so, we ended up with an interesting and varied stack of books, each one I felt the girls would love. Clearly, their brother had a generous heart and deep pockets.

I followed him as he carried the books back up to the counter, and started to ring his purchase up. I noted him rifling through the bookmarks out of the corner of my eye. “Ah here, add this,” he said, choosing one and adding it to the stack. I added it to the tab and ran his card, focusing on that part of the transaction while he bagged his own books. I wasn’t about to argue.

“Thanks again,” I said, giving him a not-entirely-genuine smile, just happy to have him out of the store.

“Wait,” he said, looking behind him to make sure no one else was in line. “Let me take you out for a coffee. Or a beer, something. Give me a chance to explain,” he fairly pleaded with me. The offer was actually tempting, as I would relish the chance to tell him off again, I told myself. Or maybe I was just curious to figure out a piece of my past I’d always thought I knew. He fidgeted slightly as I deliberated with myself. 

“Here,” he said, pulling out the bookmark he’d just bought and jotting down his number on the back of it. “You don’t have to decide right now. I’ll be in town all weekend. You can let me know,” he said, pushing the bookmark across the counter to me.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll uh, let you know,” I said, wishing I’d sounded more sure of myself.

“Take care of yourself, Morgan,” he said softly, giving me a half-smile before turning and heading out the door. I slowly ran my fingers over the tassel of the bookmark, spreading out the ribbons and lost in thought until another customer came up. I shook myself out of it, sliding the bookmark, and Taron’s number, into my back pocket before ringing up the customer a bit absent-mindedly.

“So what’d he want?” Andreyah asked, finding her way back to the counter, a couple of books tucked under her arm.

“Just books for his sisters,” I said, choosing not to tell her about the standing offer. I’m not sure why, but this felt far too personal to me, and her enthusiasm wouldn’t help me here.

“That’s really sweet,” she said with a dreamy sigh as I rang up her books.

“Don’t you get started on about how dishy he is,” I said with a laugh. “I need you on my side here!”

“Alright, alright,” she laughed, holding up her hands. “But he did come in to check up on you too, so…” she said, trailing off.

“So what?” I asked. “He’s the reason I’m hurt in the first place,” I said, realizing how much that reverberated through my life.

“Maybe it’s time to do some healing, Mori,” Andreyah said softly, staring me down until I felt uncomfortable. “Alright, I should go. Don’t want to get you in trouble with your boss. We’ll talk later, alright?”

“Of course,” I said, giving her a smile despite the cracks I felt opening up inside. I waved and watched her go, finishing my coffee and doing my best to survive the rest of my shift. I was grateful when I was free to go. I swung next door to The Grail, grabbing my favorite go-to snack, as their hummus and pita were the best around. When I took a seat near the window, I felt something snag in my back pocket. I’d completely forgotten the bookmark, and I pulled it out and stared at the neat digits printed there.

I pulled my phone out and stared at the screen for a long moment before finally dialing, waiting for the other end to pick up.

“Baby sister! So good to hear from you!” my brother answered enthusiastically on the second ring.

“Hey Dex,” I grinned, using my favorite nickname for my brother. I could never be in a bad mood around him.

“How are the old folks?” he asked.

“They’re just mum and dad, you know,” I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I was overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and hearing my brother’s voice elicited a pang of longing. I missed my brother terribly, even if he didn’t live that far away, just down the A487 in Cardigan. We’d always been so close growing up.

He must have heard the tremble in my voice. “Is everything alright, Morgan?”

“No, not really. I kinda need my big brother right now,” I said, trying not to cry in the cafe. No one needed salty tears in their hummus. “Can you come here?” I asked pitifully.

My brother paused for a moment. “Morgan, I’m an hour away. It’s a bit of a drive,” he reasoned.

“I know. But this is about Taron,” I said, listening to the silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Dex?” I asked.

“What about him?” Declan asked quietly.

“He’s back in Aber and we’ve had a bit of a run-in. He said there was shit about what went down between you two that I don’t know.”

Declan sighed heavily, and I could imagine him running his fingers through his long hair the way he always did when he was agitated. “I haven’t thought about that in years. Why has it come up now?” he finally asked.

“It’s… a long story,” I replied. “I’m not sure I’ve been the kindest person.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Dex replied.

“Hey! What does that mean?” I asked indignantly, slamming a pita into the hummus with more force than I’d meant to.

“Morgan, I’ve known you my entire life and I’ve never once seen you give someone a second chance.”

“So you’re saying I should give _Taron Egerton_ a second chance. Taron, of all people?” I scoffed around a bite of the pita.

“I just don’t see the point in carrying a grudge on something that happened over a decade ago. I’ve forgiven him and moved on with my life. He’s mostly the one that took the blame over his mates for what happened. Morgan, you should know he’s never said an unkind word to me in his life.” I nearly choked on the piece of pita I was chewing.

“What?” I managed to ask, an uneasy feeling beginning in the pit of my stomach.

“You’ve always been protective of me, sis, and maybe there was a time I needed it. But you’ve built walls around yourself to do that and I think you’re only hurting yourself now.” There was a reason my brother gave corporate presentations for a job; he had the motivational speaker thing down pat. Meanwhile, I just felt like I was crumbling.

We talked a bit further and when we hung up, I’d made my decision. I typed Taron’s number into my phone and opened a text message. <One chance.> I sent, feeling suddenly and stupidly nervous.

<One chance is all I need.> he replied back immediately, followed by a time and place. I was surprised, because it wasn’t where I’d expected him to choose. I finished up my snack and walked back home, having a little time to kill and feeling like my world had turned upside down. The revelations my brother had revealed tore a bit at the edges of the anger I’d held onto for so long.

When the time to leave arrived, I was almost a nervous wreck. I asked my parents if I could borrow the car for the evening, and thankfully they agreed. I didn’t want to charge a cab ride if I didn’t have to, as I couldn’t have walked to where we were meeting. I made the drive over to Ysgol Penglais, following Taron’s texted directions, wondering if he was half-crazy. I slowed my speed a bit on Cefn Llan since no one was behind me, searching for his car, and pulled off the road behind him when I spotted it.

“What the heck are we doing here?” I asked when we’d both exited our cars, my breath coming out in white puffs.

“Just trust me,” he said, giving me a wicked grin before walking up and down the hedge row that bordered the school. He must have found what he was looking for because he beckoned me over, and we managed to squeeze through the small break he must have known was there all along. We ran across the grounds, half-bent over as if that would conceal us in the open, but it was a Saturday evening and no one was there anyway. The windows were all dark, Taron leading me around to a particular one and, to my surprise and with a little effort on his part, he managed to slide it open. He clasped his hands together and offered it to me.

“Are you out of your bloody mind? We’re not breaking into the school!” I said.

“Oh come on, live a little,” he smirked. “My mates and I always used to do this back in the day.”

“I’m not your mate,” I said, cringing slightly as that sounded different coming out of my mouth than it had in my head. He just shook his head in amusement and beckoned me to put my foot in his hand.

“Oh what the hell,” I said, wondering if this was the dumbest thing I’d ever decided to do in my life. Taron was surprisingly strong, boosting me up into the window with no trouble, and I balanced on the ledge a bit precariously for a moment, finding it difficult to not use both of my arms. I managed to jump down safely to the other side and waited as Taron hefted himself up and over with no help at all. I couldn’t help but be impressed. The hallways were darkened, but the windows let in enough light for us to see, and after a few moments I knew exactly where he was headed.

He pulled the auditorium doors open, and we both turned our phone flashlights on as we bumped our way down the aisle, climbing the steps until we were standing on the stage, facing out to an audience that would have been there had this been a production. “I have so many memories here,” Taron said, his voice echoing a bit before he pulled out two bottles of beer he’d stashed in his coat. He took a seat at the edge of the stage, legs swinging over, and I joined him. We sat our phones down between us, the lights shining up and casting strange shadows on the ceiling, but I didn’t feel scared to be there with him. 

He popped the cap off one of the bottles and handed it to me. I took a swig and waited for him to say more; he knew why we were here, and I desperately needed to know what had happened. “I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am, and what’s done is unfortunately done,” he started, a slight tremor working its way into his voice as he tried to recall the events of those days. I sat and listened, drinking my beer and looking over at him every now and again. The way the light shone up highlighted the lines of his jaw, and when his eyes met mine from time to time, I could see the softness of his eyelashes. It wasn’t what I had meant to be thinking, but I’d have been truly blind to not see how he filled out the jeans and shirt he was wearing.

“We were 15, and we were stupid. I don’t think any of us meant to hurt your brother,” Taron finally said, drawing to a close. “I knew the bullying was wrong, and I should have stood up for him. But I was questioning myself, my own intentions and even my sexuality, and I thought if I defended your brother then I might’ve been the next one on the chopping block. It was cowardly, and I’ve held that close to my heart for a long time,” he spoke into the darkness, and I couldn’t help the sympathy that dug its way through me.

“Your silence made you complicit, don’t you see that?” I asked sadly.

“Of course I realized it later, after some counseling and maturity caught up to me. And I tried to talk to you about it, once. I was about to graduate and felt the need to make amends for all the dumb shit I’d done in school,” he replied, which was news to me. The few interactions with Taron I remembered from school days had mostly been him teasing me or showing off for his schoolmates.

“The thing is, Morgan, at some point you stopped being just Declan’s little sister and started being someone I rather fancied. I never said anything because I always thought you were off-limits.” You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium; I’m pretty sure I had forgotten how to breathe. “Anyway, I’m sure that ship has long set sail for me. But I hope you can at least forgive me.”

I truly didn’t know what to say, stunned into silence at his sudden confession. I was pummeled every which way by the different emotions coursing through me, memories replaying in my mind that I suddenly saw in a completely different light. “Holy shit, I’ve been such an idiot,” I said. I’d been so focused on protecting Declan that I’d never once thought to ask what it meant for myself.

“No, not you. It’s always been me being the idiot,” he said, turning to me and sweetly cupping my chin with his hand. “For all my years of acting, you’d think I’d have gotten better at this. I’ve been the one too afraid to admit my feelings out loud,” he continued, his eyes boring into mine. I’d never experienced this kind of raw honesty from anyone before, and I couldn’t hide the way it made me feel. 

“And now I think I’ve gone and lost you,” he said, searching my face. “You’ve hated me for so long. I don’t know how I could possibly change your mind.” He seemed so crestfallen that I felt it echo in my own chest.

“One chance. One day,” I said with a sudden smile. “You get one day with me tomorrow to change my mind.”

I watched the grin spread across his sweet face, brightening his eyes, and it was all for me. “I could give you the world in one day,” he said, brushing his thumb across my lips. We stared at each other for a moment, the space between us suddenly feeling very, very small. I sucked in my breath as he leaned in closer and then the auditorium doors swung open, scaring the shit out of me. I reacted, banging my forehead into Taron’s nose. “Shit, I’m sorry!” I gasped as a disembodied voice called out “What are you kids doing in here!” I doubt the janitor could see us clearly either.

“Come on!” Taron giggled, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. He headed for the backstage, knowing the place like the back of his hand, and we weaved our way in and out of props until he found a back door. We pushed our way through it, laughing and breathless, the janitor’s shouts still echoing somewhere behind us as we tore off down the hallway, back toward the window and our escape.

I lay in my bed later that night, recounting our mad dash back to the cars in the waning light, the way he’d laughingly pulled the sticks from the hedge out of my hair and how he’d promised me the best day of my life tomorrow. I was still fairly buzzed from the beer and the way Taron had looked at me, like I was the only girl in the world. I finally understood that particular Taron _effect_ now that I’d chosen to finally see the man he’d grown up to be. He was no longer that lanky, awkward teen straight out of my memories, the one I’d hung every last school-year ache upon. My insides felt like they’d been melted down to nothing and reshaped overnight; I was not the same Morgan I had been the day before. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, truly looking forward to exploring Aber in a different way, with someone I found I rather fancied after all.


	3. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Morgan finally let her walls crumble away as Taron tries to show her the best parts of Aberystwyth - and himself? There is so much sweet, adorable fluff in this final chapter it will make your heart ache! Please enjoy the sweetness! x

I awoke straight out of sleep far too early, as it was still pre-dawn dark outside my window. I squinted at my phone and groaned when it read just after 7 a.m. No one had a right to be up this early on their day off, but then I remembered I was to spend the day with Taron and there was going to be no going back to sleep for me. I felt a definite mix of anxious and excited as I sat up in bed, propping myself up a bit and doing what anyone would do; I started scrolling through Google search results. The truth was that even though Taron had always been on my periphery, I hadn’t kept up with what he’d been doing all these years.

I knew he’d gone to RADA after leaving Aberystwyth, and I’d even seen the Kingsman movies because my friends were obsessed. But after that my knowledge was a bit sketchy, so I tried to catch myself back up and found he’d done a bunch of different projects, not always as a headliner, but always seeming to make the most of his roles. I switched over to the images tab, scrolling through photos, most of them from some premiere or film event or the other, although some personal photos had made it onto the internet also, of course; nothing was sacred online. Taron had indeed grown very handsome; I couldn’t deny it anymore. I wasn’t exactly breathless over him, but he had a certain charm about him.

Just then, a text notification popped up from Taron, no less. <Hope you’re ready for today! Dress in layers - We’ll be outside for parts of the day and I want you to stay warm.> I wondered what he had planned; there were a few iconic places in Aber that I’d already spent plenty of time at over the years. I wondered if being there with Taron would make them feel different somehow.

I eventually got myself out of bed and worked on getting dressed, a little bit more successfully than the day before, being ever-careful of my arm. I’d pulled on a pair of warm tights under my jeans and piled on a sweater and zip-up hoodie over my shirt. I swallowed another of the prescription painkillers, hoping it’d keep the pain to a dull ache so I could enjoy my day, and, in a decent mood, I started making breakfast for my parents who weren’t up yet.

I’d got some sausages and eggs in the frypan and set some toast out on the table when my parents came down, still in their robes and pajamas and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

“Morning,” I said cheerily, carefully sliding food onto plates for them both with my one good arm.

“You’re in a pleasant mood,” my mum remarked, accepting a plate.

“Mmm, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I laughed at that, as my parents exchanged glances. “Okay, okay, I have a bit of a date today,” I grinned at them both.

“With who?” my parents both managed to ask at the same time.

“An old school friend,” I said as casually as possible.

“Well that’s wonderful, honey,” my father said. “I hope you have fun!”

I just grinned at that and wolfed down my breakfast. Taron said he’d pick me up at 10 a.m. sharp, and the clock had nearly arrived at that. I felt stupidly nervous as I waited, making small talk with my parents until I saw his car pull up to the house. I got up quickly and pulled my coat on around me, trying to button the toggles as quickly as possible.

“Oh, is that him? Invite him inside!” my mother said, trying to get a peek through the curtain as I pulled my Wellies on over thick socks.

“Yeah, no… Let’s at least wait for the second date? Or like, 30th?” I said as I grabbed my purse and smiled at them. “I’ll be back later, love you!” I shouted as I bounced out the door, letting the screen door slam as I usually did.

Taron had obnoxiously decided to be chivalrous and got out to open the car door for me; I thanked him and slid into the seat quickly, willing him to get back in the car in case my mom was trying to look out the window again. The less questions I had to answer about all of that, the better. We’d been blessed with a warmer day, thought it was still cold enough for the snow on the ground to stay, and there were only a few clouds scudding across the sky.

“Morning, love,” Taron grinned in that eternally cheerful way of his.

“Morning,” I couldn’t help but grin back. “So I am yours for the day. Thrill me.”

Taron raised an eyebrow at that and grinned. “So I think the first thing we should do is go up the Cliff. I’ve spent a lot of time up there, and I always find it peaceful.”

“You take all of your girls up there?” I teased.

“Ouch, do you always think I’m so predictable?” he said, pretending to be hurt.

“Mmmm,” I just responded, making him chuckle, and I found I rather enjoyed that sound. We made the quick drive over to the railway, and I insisted on buying our fare for this. I knew he’d probably be paying for most of the day, and besides that, I had also always loved going up the cliff. Taron had brought a pack with him and sat so close to me on the way up that his thigh was against mine, distracting me slightly. But I also couldn’t help staring out the window as we rode; the views were always stunning from 430 feet up.

Despite the cold air, it was surprisingly busy, but then I remembered that the railway was only operating on special hours at the moment because of the influx of people for the holidays. One of my favorite places to spend time, the Camera Obscura, wasn’t open either, but Taron cutely took my hand and led me over to some benches overlooking the city and sat the pack down at his feet, producing two tin mugs and a thermos of hot chocolate to keep us warmed up. We sat there in our mutually content silence, sipping the warm sweet drink and eventually I laid my head on his shoulder.

“Do you miss this when you’re off in London?” I asked.

“All the time, of course. Aber is the center of my universe,” Taron replied. “I don’t regret making the move, but London doesn’t have my heart. Plus, if I don’t visit often enough, my sisters turn into completely different people. They grow up so fast.”

“I used to hold such a grudge that you left,” I admitted. “That you still claimed to be Welsh when you’d left all of us behind, made a name for yourself in Britain. I suppose that wasn’t very fair of me,” I said, as Taron just listened to me ramble. “I guess part of it was that I wanted nothing more than to leave myself, and felt like it was going to be impossible to do. I felt stuck and resented you for my own fortunes. Everyone here considers you such a hero. I never saw what was so special, and it didn’t help that we had all of that history behind us that I blamed you for exclusively.”

“But you think differently now?” he asked.

“It’s why we’re here, now. I want to give you a chance to prove that you still care about this place, its people. That you aren’t too good for it.”

“I don’t think that. I’ve never thought that. I hope I’ve never acted in a manner that would constitute that. I live in London because that’s where it’s easiest to access what I need. Do you honestly think it was easy to say good-bye to my mam, my sisters, everything I grew up with here?” he asked, his gaze searching my face.

“I don’t know, Taron. I feel like I’ve had to literally confront everything I thought I knew about you and found that I’ve been so, so wrong. I suppose I should apologize, it’s a bit shaming, really,” I said, my face growing red.

“Hey, you’ve been misguided, but I can forgive, and you should forgive yourself for that as well, yeah? It’s not so bad, we have this day to make amends and begin again. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find some magic in it too,” he said, the way he looked at me so softly making my heart skip a few times.

“Maybe,” I said, stumbling a bit over the word and trying to remember how to breathe.

“Right, shall we head back down? I figured we could walk through the National Library to get warm and then grab a bite for lunch at one of my favorite spots.”

“Sounds good,” I nodded, watching as he wiped out our glasses and packed everything back up before sweetly taking my hand in his and swinging our arms between us as we ventured back to the platform. We took the rail back down, chatting about lighter-hearted subjects, and I was really enjoying his company.

We made the drive over to the Library and walked inside its hallowed walls; I’d spent so many hours here, studying for school or just being transported somewhere else through a book. We wandered through an exhibition related to Wales’ musical tradition, actually spending a fair bit of time there together. Taron always took a particular interest in music, and credited his own voice to growing up in a place that fostered music wherever you went.

Once we’d both grown rather hungry, Taron drove us over to Sophie’s. The brunch and lunch spot was busy but we were thankfully able to grab a table. We both ordered burgers and shared a chip stack, loaded with cheese and bacon and sour cream. It turned out that despite Taron’s pretty built physique, he was quite a foodie, and I loved that there was no shame to it. We ended up laughing and talking a lot, and a few times he’d just wind up staring at me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher.

“You’re clearly thinking something,” I said softly once we’d finished our food and were just waiting for the tab.

“You’d think me bloody crazy,” he chuckled.

“No I wouldn’t, promise!” I smiled at that, placing my chin in my hand and gazing at him a bit.

“Just thinking how I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have a chance with you. You were always the girl that got away from me, mostly because I never took a chance. That’s dogged me for years, you know,” he sighed a bit wistfully.

“You’ve really thought about me for years?” I asked, a bit incredulously.

“Ahh Morgan, I’ve had my share of breakups and lonely nights. It always left me wondering what could have been,” he said, running his fingers through his hair.

I looked away for a second, almost ashamed by the fact that I’d been on his mind at all and had spent that time just fuming away. It was very nearly comical.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed,” he said, misreading my reaction.

“I’m not embarrassed, just ashamed of myself, really. I know you’re not mad at me, but I just feel like this could have happened a lot sooner if I had, I don’t know, just tried a little harder. To see all sides of the story. I just assumed I knew what had happened. I talked to my brother before I texted you yesterday, you know. He said you got blamed for everything, that you took the fall for it. Why?”

“I had amends to make, Morgan. And I was protective of my friends, too. I knew I could handle being hated by your brother. I just didn’t realize I couldn’t handle being hated by you,” he said in nearly a whisper. I could feel the vestiges of the walls I’d built up around myself beginning to crumble slowly.

“I don’t know what to say,” I said quietly as Taron reached over and took my hand in his.

“You don’t have to say anything at all. But I’ve felt like this for years, and being able to finally put it in words, and to be honest with you about it, has been such a relief. I don’t want to place expectations on this. I’m just willing to see where it could lead,” he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as he did so. That was something I had never noticed about him before; when he smiled, it lit up his entire face. He was incredibly expressive and I’m sure that’s what made him such a brilliant actor. You could read what he was thinking without a word being said, and we were having a conversation right then and there by the way he was looking at me. To be the subject of that gaze left me completely breathless.

“So, shall we head out to the next thing?” Taron asked after a moment, and I could only nod in agreement, having to figure out how to put my thoughts back together. I felt undone somehow, but it wasn’t in a bad way; it was just that unnerving feeling that things I thought I had known, about Taron, and about myself, felt completely stripped away.

We got up from our table but Taron was pulled aside for a selfie from someone who recognized him. At least they had waited until we’d finished our meal to ask, so Taron obliged her while I stood awkwardly nearby, feeling somehow like the third wheel. But I wasn’t even a girlfriend, not really, so there was no reason for Taron to acknowledge me in his sphere of actor and fan. Still, he politely excused himself from that conversation as quickly as possible and followed me out the door.

“That’s happening more and more,” he said with a bit of an anxious chuckle.

“So are you big leagues now or what?” I teased him, but he only shook his head.

“Frankly it overwhelms me a bit,” he admitted.

“I imagine so. I mean, I wouldn’t know because I’m just a pleb,” I smirked, making Taron laugh.

“Embrace it,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t give up acting for the world, but celebrity is such a weird thing to me.”

“Well, you’re just Taron to me,” I said with a cute shrug, making him grin.

“Well, just Morgan, shall we go to the castle then?” he grinned, offering his arm to me, which I took.

“Carry on, my fine escort,” I said with a giggle, getting an eyebrow raise for that. God, that eyebrow was classic. I wanted to run my fingers over it, but I decided that might require a beer or two first so I shoved that urge down deep.

The castle was only about an nine-minute walk away, so we decided to leave Taron’s car parked where it was. I promised that just because I was down to one workable arm didn’t mean I didn’t have workable legs, and with the sun shining I was almost too warm under my sweater and hoodie and coat. We strolled down the street, just enjoying the bustle of the city, people running into stores to make their last-minute holiday purchases, and eventually came upon the old castle ruins.

“I’ve spent so many childhood days here,” I grinned as we walked under the north tower gateway.

“As did I,” Taron grinned back as we climbed our way through ruins we both knew so well, Taron taking my hand sweetly to help steady me when there was a large step, since I couldn’t use my other arm to steady myself. Eventually we made it to the topmost point, looking out over the sea. The wind was somehow colder up here, and I pulled my jacket in close about me.

“My parents would bring my brother and me up here to burn off some energy when we were younger. And likely driving them crazy,” I laughed. “We always pretended that this was our castle back in medieval times. Only I wanted to be the knight, and Declan would always be a dragon. Sometimes he would defeat me, sometimes I would slay him. Sometimes we would just rule together and be best friends. Trust me, I was no princess,” I laughed at the memories.

“I mostly just came up here with other schoolmates. Probably did things I shouldn’t’ve,” he chuckled. “Your story is much cuter than mine,” he grinned as I huddled in the corner where two partial stone walls met, trying to seek solace from the bite of the wind. There was a bit of a keyhole window, and I got caught up staring out at the choppy waves for a moment, traveling through my thoughts a bit and unaware that Taron had taken his phone out and snapped a photo of me. “Morgan,” he said to get my attention. I turned to face him, a mix of thoughtfulness and curiosity on my face, and he must have snapped that photo too.

“What are you doing?” I said with a laugh, shaking my head at him.

“Only making sure I don’t forget how you look right now,” he said, a bit of an odd timbre to his voice, almost like he was a bit choked up.

“That’s… Taron,” I said. “Why do you say these things to me? Such pretty things?”

“Because you should know how beautiful you really are. You cover up your insecurities with all this sarcasm and sharp wit but confidence is knowing your own worth. I wanted to show you how I see you,” he said, turning the phone around, and I had to gasp a little bit. Staring back at me was a girl who was both me and not me. There I was, framed by the window, the light streaming about me and almost giving me a bit of a halo, a few strands of hair having blown across my face. But what was most captivating was the soulfulness of my own eyes, the way they seemed to be looking into the universe. The photo was in black and white, but that seemed to enhance the very real vulnerability of it, as if I’d been pared back to nothing but my essence. As Taron had said, not hiding underneath the humor and self-deprecation I used to brush away my insecurities. 

“Wow,” I said, unable to tear my gaze away from myself. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Make me look like that?” I asked.

“This is you, Morgan. You’re incredibly introspective, and smart, curious about the world around you, protective of your family and fiercely loyal to your friends, and full of empathy. You’ve got a high spirit but it means you won’t take anyone’s bullshit. But you’ve put these walls up so high because you’re scared of the world seeing you for who you really are. But I have, I always have,” he said, taking a step closer to me. I shivered, but not because of the wind.

“Taron, I don’t know what to say,” I replied, feeling my breath catching as he took another step closer.

“Let me take those walls down, Morgan. Let me in, please,” he pleaded, and with one more step he was in my space, reaching out to touch my cheek gently, his fingers whispering over my skin as he tilted my chin up slightly. “May I?” he asked, and I gave a slight nod.

Taron leaned in, and I found myself holding my breath as we stared at each other, before he gently pressed his lips to mine as I closed my eyes on instinct. That kiss was so achingly sweet and I never wanted it to end, but all too soon he’d pulled away. I cracked an eye open at him, just to catch him looking totally unnerved, overwhelmed, maybe even a little anxious.

“Are you okay?” I asked, suddenly feeling insecure. _ Had it really been that bad for him? _ I thought.

“What? No, of course I’m okay. Better than okay,” he laughed. “Can I kiss you again?” he asked.

“Come here,” I grinned back, grabbing a fistful of Taron’s jacket and pulling him into me, kissing him a lot more forcefully than he had done, suddenly needing so much more of him. He pressed his hands against the wall on either side of me, enveloping me and making me feel safe in that space we had created for ourselves as we continued to kiss, his eyelashes sometimes brushing my cheeks.

When we finally broke apart, giggling and breathless, I felt like the entire world had finally shifted, like I’d found my center and things made sense, why I was here in this place. Everything had led me up to this moment, and being with Taron very much felt like a place I wanted to belong.

“I can’t feel my fingers anymore,” I laughed suddenly. 

Taron quickly covered my hand with both of his. “My days, you’re ice cold. We should get back inside, warm ourselves up again,” he said, and I nodded in agreement because despite the flush in my cheeks, I was cold. As we made our way out of the castle grounds, my lips were still tingling and I couldn’t help but brush my fingers over them every so often, marveling a bit at how kissing Taron had made me feel. Almost as if I’d grabbed onto a live wire, feeling every emotion with so much more clarity and depth than before.

_ How had he gotten so under my skin? _ I wondered.  _ And made me feel so alive? _

We made it back to the car and I held my hands up to the heater vents as Taron put the air on full blast. I couldn’t help shivering a bit as we both tried to get warmed up again. He drove around Aber a bit aimlessly before finally pulling into the Waterstones lot. We went in and just browsed a little bit; I was curious to see what his interests were and had to laugh at the fact that I ended up in bookstores even on my days off. The obsession with books was a bit too real.

We ended up poking around a few other shops, including Coastal Vintage and Siop y Pethe, or Shop of Things, which was one of my personal favorite places to just kill some time. It had such an eclectic mix of books and gifts. Taron had been inspecting something on a display and called me over, holding up a necklace with a heart pendant that read  _ werth y byd, _ or essentially  _ you mean the world _ .

“Was thinking of getting this for a girl I know,” he said with a cute wink.

“I’m sure your mam would appreciate it,” I teased, making Taron throw back his head with a lovely laugh.

“That’s good,” he said, his eyes sparkling at me. “But I had a different girl in mind,” he grinned, undoing the clasp and then fastening it around my neck.

“Taron, this is just too much,” I said, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

“You just have never been treated right, that’s all,” he said, pulling me in close and kissing me lightly on the forehead, traveling down my nose before capturing my lips in another one of those breath-stealing kisses I was going to have to get used to.

Taron paid for the necklace and we headed out again, deciding to take a chilly but sweet stroll along the Prom. We had it mostly to ourselves at that point, and the few people we passed greeted us warmly as was the Aber custom but kept walking on by. The sun at this point had sunk low toward the horizon, painting the tops of the sea’s choppy waves with oranges and pinks. In a sudden burst of insanity, I took off across the snowy beach with a shriek, not looking back to see Taron’s surprised but amused expression. I was careful to not wipe out on the slippery pebbles under the wet snow as I squelched my way to the very edge of the water, the waves breaking against the toes of my Wellies as I closed my eyes, threw my arms out wide and breathed in the salty air.

“The sea calls me and I must go!” I said as dramatically as possible when I heard Taron approach.

“Not without me, you won’t,” he said sweetly, making my heart beat faster in my chest as I turned around to face him.

“This is always where I’ve found my peace. As much as I’ve always wanted to leave Aber, I don’t know if I could ever live in a place without the sea,” I confessed. “I’ve never felt so big and so small at the same time anywhere else.”

“It is beautiful here,” Taron agreed, as I noticed that his eyes were much the same color as the sea at the moment, almost a slate grey.

“It’s not London,” I replied. “And you’ll have to go back after the holidays, right?”

“Sadly yes, but, we can figure this out,” he said softly. “Besides, it doesn’t help us to think about that right now. Our day together isn’t quite over yet.”

“You’re right. You still have a little time left to convince me,” I joked, bending over to scoop up some snow and tossing it at Taron, hitting him square in the chest as I took off running across the beach again, giggling. Taron gave chase, managing to scoop some snow up of his own. My Wellies were struggling to keep balance more so than Taron’s shoes, so he caught up to me quickly, lobbing his snowball and hitting me in the back before wrapping his arms around me and hugging me to him, making me squeal with laughter.

“C’mere you,” he grinned as I turned around in his embrace to face him.

“I was kidding you know,” I grinned. “I just wanted you to kiss me again.”

“That can be arranged,” he said, his voice a bit gravelly as he leaned in again and kissed me some more until I could feel the heat rising in my chest. Unfortunately for me, the creeping twilight chill and our growing hunger would soon chase us off the beach, seeking warmth and food again.

We ended up at a restaurant/bar called Baravin right there on the Prom, with a table by the windows so we could still see the sea and also the twinkling Christmas lights on the houses and store fronts. I always loved this part of the year. The food was excellent and I was beginning to think I had never felt this comfortable with someone.

“This has truly been one of the best days I’ve ever had,” I said after we’d filled ourselves up on the chocolate and honeycomb sweet pizza for dessert.

“I’m grateful I could be a part of that,” Taron smiled, his chin in his hand as he gazed at me.

“You’re more than just a part of it. You’re the whole reason for it,” I replied, toying with the necklace a bit absent-mindedly.

“Well that’s very kind of you but I don’t think you would have said the same two days ago when I tripped you in the store,” he said with a bit of a smirk.

“Oh God,” I said, covering my face with my hands. “I was such an arse to you,” I sighed.

“Well it’s all been forgiven, yeah?” he smiled.

“You of me, and me of you,” I nodded at that, my phone lighting up with a text from Andreyah.

<I’ve tried so hard to wait to hear from you all day but I MUST know, how is it going?!> she had sent.

<Um, very well indeed> I texted back, attaching one of our many selfies that we’d taken together. It hadn’t even been a good picture, because I’d said something that made Taron laugh, so his eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was hanging wide open and he was a bit blurry, but I still loved it because it just felt so genuine in that moment. I loved the sound of his laugh, and knowing I was the reason for it made me feel really good.

<OMG that’s soooo cute! You look really happy!> she texted back right away.

<That’s because I am> I wrote back, while Taron also checked his own phone briefly. <Who would have thought it? But everything’s changed. I can tell you more later, promise.>

<You’d better> she texted back before I stowed my phone away in my purse.

“We can’t sit at this table for forever, but I really don’t want this evening to be over yet,” I laughed softly after a moment.

“Oh, I’ve got an idea,” he grinned a bit mischievously. “We’ve got a bit of time to kill but… You should call your friends, I’ll call mine, and we can all meet up at the Pier’s nightclub for a little bit. Wouldn’t that be a bit nostalgic?” he asked.

“Oh my god, yes! I haven’t been there since college days. Once I graduated my mates and I felt we were all too grown up so we’ve stuck to the pubs but we should totally do it for old kicks’ sake!” I laughed.

So that’s exactly what we did. We gathered a group of our friends and, after admittedly killing time by talking and making out in Taron’s car, we entered the old nightclub I had such fond memories of. They had refurbished the inside of it, so it looked a lot nicer than I remembered, but the music was just as loud and neon lights just as blinding. We all got some drinks and after some introductions between us all, we spent the last bit of the night dancing away. None of my friends even gave me any shit for doing a complete 180 on Taron, but I think Andreyah had filled them in on our reconciliation.

When a slow song came on I wrapped my arms around Taron’s neck and swayed with him. It’d gotten hot in the club so we’d all ditched our coats and jackets. Taron looked so cozy in his sweater, and I was just so thrilled to be there with him. He had his hands loosely at my waist as we just got lost in that moment together. He slowly slid his hands down and around, his fingers gently squeezing my bottom as he asked “Is this okay?” in my ear. It sent a thrill running all through my body, and it was the first time I really understood that this could go so much further. I wasn’t in any way ready to take it that far yet; I had too much past shit to work through. But suddenly I wondered what he’d looked like naked, and I was grateful for the darkness of the club because I was blushing hard at that.

“Want to step outside for a moment? I’m a bit sweaty,” he said against my ear so he could be heard over the music. I nodded and we both went to grab our coats and beers and stepped out onto the pier into the night air. I wrapped my arms around Taron under his coat, laying my head against his chest; his heart was beating rather fast, I noticed. He took a long pull of his beer and had a far-off look in his face, staring out at Cardigan Bay.

“What are you thinking?” I asked softly.

“Things I shouldn’t be, in all honesty,” Taron said, his voice a bit deep, a rough edge to it.

“And in all honesty, I probably am too,” I whispered.

We weren’t alone on the pier, but no one else was paying us any mind, busy with their own conversations and probably as buzzed as we were. Taron stepped me backwards until my back hit the wall of the building, and we were now partially hidden by shadows. He leaned in and kissed me, his hands roaming under my coat and sweater and finding the skin at my waist, setting my nerves aflame. His kisses traveled along my jaw and then down my neck, leaving trails of fire where his lips touched. With the effects of the alcohol our inhibitions had lowered quite a bit, but I was still hesitant, and when Taron realized it he backed off, just resting his forehead against mine as we tried to recover our breaths.

“To be continued,” he smirked lightly at me.

“Definitely,” I laughed softly, biting my lip almost shyly.

Eventually we rejoined our friends, but it had gotten quite late and I had an early shift the next morning, so I decided that it was probably best to head home. I was tired, my arm was beginning to throb yet again, and as much as I would have loved to just dance until the sun came up, I was no longer that college kid with few responsibilities. We said our good-byes and packed ourselves back in the car, happy and worn out. Taron drove me through the quiet streets of Aber, a place he had somehow managed to make feel special all over again.

He parked the car when we pulled up to my house and we both sat there in silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say or unwilling to end the night.

“Thank you, for today, for everything,” I finally said.

“Yeah, of course, of course,” he said, smiling over at me. “I’m in town for a little while longer, and I’d love to see you again.”

“Now that is a given,” I grinned tiredly at him.

“You should go sleep,” he laughed gently at my sleepy expression.

“Nope, just gonna bunk down right here,” I giggled, patting the car seat and pretending to snuggle in.

“You’re ridiculous,” he chuckled at that. 

“But you like it,” I replied, as Taron reached over and brushed my hair away from my face, caressing my cheeks sweetly and then lingering over my lips, so I placed a kiss right there on his fingertips. “Alright, I should go or we’ll be here all night and morning,” I said, both of us getting out of the car and Taron actually walking me up to my door.  _ I thought that only happened in the movies _ , I giggled slightly deliriously at the thought.

“Today was fun. Let’s do this again soon,” he said, hugging me tightly.

“It was so fun!” I said from somewhere in his arms. “And we will, hang out again, that is. I guess you sort of won me over. Lucky you,” I said teasingly, but Taron just pulled away to gaze at me for a long moment.

“You have no idea just how lucky I feel right now,” he said, making my heart feel like it was growing three sizes in my chest. “And you know, you’ll always be my Aber girl,” he added. If I wasn’t already swept off my feet, that sentiment definitely did me in.

“Oh Taron,” I breathed softly, standing up on my toes to kiss him again. We finally managed to say our good-byes; I’m not really sure how but eventually he was back in his car and waving cutely to me as I hung in the doorway, watching as he pulled out of the drive and waiting until the darkness swallowed the tail lights.

I must have fairly floated upstairs; my head was full of reliving the day as I brushed my teeth and changed into my pajamas. While I laid on my bed, scrolling through the photos we’d taken, I paused on the photo Taron had taken of me at the castle. He had shown me so much more than just a good time; he had somehow helped me find the person behind all the walls. I felt more at peace with myself then I had in such a long time, and being able to let go of those long-held grievances was liberating.

I set my alarm and then put my phone on the nightstand, snuggling under my covers and closing my eyes, ready to sleep after the events of the day. But oh, what a day it had truly been. Not only was Taron just so thoughtful and kind and handsome to boot, but he had never once judged me for anything I’d felt or had to go through. 

I touched the necklace still hanging around my neck, feeling the weight of its significance. Taron had promised to give me the world, but he had also truly come to mean the world to me. I slipped into the sweetest sleep, a smile on my face. True happiness didn’t come from things; it came from forgiveness, from discovering yourself, from knowing your worth, and maybe even from finding love.


End file.
